Agronomist Sergio Rubin kneels in a field of oats to remove some of the straw covering the soil. Opening a gap, he shows us the damp earth on a warm day, in what has been a winter marked by great fluctuations. Thermometers here in the state of Rio Grande do Sul hit 25C in mid-August \u2013 well above the average in the Brazil\u2019s southernmost region \u2013 while on Rubin\u2019s farm in J\u00falio de Castilhos, in the centre of the state, the previous week\u2019s heavy rain had not yet evaporated from the soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a far cry from the compact, crumbly earth that had been seen here just months earlier, caused by one of the worst droughts in Rio Grande do Sul\u2019s recent history, which lasted four years and destroyed a significant portion of the state\u2019s soy crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubin plants oats as a cover crop to keep moisture and nutrients in the soil that will be sown with soy seeds in October. \u201cThe drought taught us that we can\u2019t leave the soil bare,\u201d explains the 65-year-old producer. \u201cIt always needs to be well nourished and protected with different mulches to keep moisture in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Soy is a key crop in Rio Grande do Sul, and its production had been climbing until the arrival of La Ni\u00f1a<\/a> in mid-2020, which caused output to plummet in the following years. This climate phenomenon causes the waters of the Pacific Ocean to cool abnormally, making winds stronger and, in turn, altering rainfall patterns and humidity. Having lasted three consecutive years, this rare \u201ctriple-dip\u201d La Ni\u00f1a event brought more rain to Brazil\u2019s north and north-east regions, and drought to the south.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After these difficult and dry years, southern Brazil\u2019s farmers are now facing a new set of challenges following the arrival of El Ni\u00f1o. The counterpart to La Ni\u00f1a, this phenomenon causes an abnormal warming of the waters of the Pacific Ocean, bringing changes in the winds and increased rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul from spring \u2013 planting season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n